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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · bulb · fall · calf · temple · fine · deal · court

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — for sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fall — the season
  5. deal — to handle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. court — of a king
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fine — all right
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — high quality
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com